Pit bull attack sends Miramar man to hospital

MIRAMAR — A pit bull attacked a man in Broward County on Wednesday, a day after Miami-Dade County commissioners agreed to put its ban on pit bulls on an August ballot.

Walter Roach, 77, of Miramar, suffered injuries on left arm, back and right leg that required 24 stitches to close. He was treated at Memorial Hospital Pembroke, where he was scheduled to stay overnight Wednesday, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The issue of pit bulls and whether they have a propensity to attack was revived this week when Miami-Dade commissioners agreed to let voters cast ballots in August on whether the county should lift its ban on pit bulls.

Until 1990, local governments could single out certain breeds of dogs in their laws. Some did.

State lawmakers changed the law to prevent dog discrimination, but governments that already had rules on the books were allowed to keep them. That includes Miami-Dade County, which banned pit bulls in 1989 in response to a spate of attacks. The county's ban is still enforced.

In Wednesday's attack in Broward County, Roach told police he was walking near his home, on the north side of the 8600 block of Sheraton Drive about 10:20 a.m., when three pit bulls approached him, according to Miramar police spokeswoman Tania Rues.

One of the pit bulls, 4-year-old Reds, bit him.

Reds' owners said they're vigilant about securing their pets behind their fence, saying someone must have tampered with the fence and riled up Reds before he broke free. They describe him as a kind, loyal dog.

"Pit bulls are like cage fighters. They're not 100 percent vicious," said Reds' owner, Steve White, 22. "At the same time, it's in their bloodline to protect and attack for anything that they love. If you raise them properly, they can be the sweetest dogs ever."

Roach, the dog-bite victim, said he was upset. "The big one is vicious," Roach told WTVJ-Ch. 6. "It's dangerous."

A Miramar code compliance officer issued two notices of violation to the dog's owner, saying he had a loose dog that resulted in an animal bite with injury. The homeowner also was cited on the charge of having a derelict fence. The owner is eligible to appeal the violation notices.

A Broward County Animal Care official took Reds away, because the family had no available documentation that Reds had received his rabies vaccination.

After a 10-day quarantine, Reds would be eligible to return home, officials said. Animal care determined Wednesday's attack was Reds' only offense.